Americans view negotiation as the preferred method for resolving disagreements, allocating resources, and making collective decisions. When interests conflict, Americans default to negotiation rather than relying on authority, tradition, or imposition. This preference runs deep in American culture—political institutions, legal systems, business practices, and even family life are structured around negotiated resolution. Americans believe that agreements reached through negotiation are legitimate because parties consented to them.
This means Americans will expect opportunities to negotiate in situations where other cultures might expect decisions to be imposed. If you are working with Americans, build in negotiation opportunities rather than presenting unilateral decisions. Americans may resist imposed arrangements not because the terms are unacceptable but because they were not consulted. United States Negotiation
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